Weighing scale



. 7,.1943. s. WILLIAMS- WEIGHING SCALE Filed June 29, 1942 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Lawrence J. MAW/007.5

. INVENTOR BY a Z/'% z 7 A TORNEY5 Dec. 7, 1943. L. s. WILLIAMS2,335,329

WEIGHING SCALE Filed June 29, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 7, 1943. s.WILLIAMS 2,336,329

WEIGHING SCALE I Filed June 29 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 m mm mu Dec. 7,1943. s. WILLIAMS WEIGHING SCALE Filed June 29 1942- 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Lawrence J. H /'///'am.s INVENTOR 5v Q, a f

A TORNEYS WEIGHING SCALE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 29, 1942 Law'encW/W/dhs INVENTQB Patented Dec. 7, 1943 UNE'E'ED res rear orrics NEIGHINGSCALE Lawrence S. Williams, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Toledo ScaleCompany, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey l Claims.

This invention relates to weighing scales of the computing type in whichcomputed amounts are indicated by a plurality of figures inscribed inperipheral rows On the chart of the weighing scale, each or whichfigures corresponds to the product of that price per pound correspondingto the peripheral row in which such figure appears and the weightrepresented by that weight indicium in line with which the computedamount figure is inscribed. Such charts are usually in one of twogeneral forms; they may be charts for fan scales or for cylinder scales.This invention relates primarily to charts for cylinder scales. Thesubject matter of the instant application is disclosed, but not claimed,in a copending application of Marshall and Williams, Serial No. 425,810,filed January '7, 1942.

In cylinder scale charts it is common to have a peripheral row ofcomputed amount indicia for each of the various prices per pound atwhich merchandise may be sold. Such computed amount indicia rows usuallyconsist of graduations and figures corresponding thereto. In order toread these rows of computed amount indicia, there is provided a readingline which is stationary and extends transversely across the chart. Thecomputed amount is shown by that one of the graduations which registerswith the reading line when the merchandise is weighed. Since thisreading line must be slightly removed from the periphery of the chart,so there will be no possibility of contact between the line and thechart, parallax is a frequent source of error. A person of short staturelooking into the viewing device from below its level has a line ofvision substantially different from that of a tall person and suchdifference may amount to as much as a cent or two depending upon theprice per pound which is being read.

When it is desirable to have a large number oi graduations on the chart,it is necessary to provide magnifying means for properly viewing thegraduations. In order to prevent the reading line from obscuring thegraduations and figures on the chart, this line must be of very smalldiameter. Since it must be free of the chart, and have open space aroundit, it is usually in the form of a wire stretched across in front of thechart. It is extremely difficult to construct wiles of small enoughdiameter so that they can be used without obscuring figures andgraduations upon the chart.

Since the space on the surface of the chart is limited by practicalreasons of size and weight, the necessity of having a large number ofgraduations on the chart results in a smaller amount of space in whichto print the figures representing computed amounts.

It is an object of this invention to provide a eighing scale in whichthe computing chart may be highly magnified to permit a large number ofcomputed amount figures to be shown without the danger of errorsoccurring due to parallax.

It is another object of this invention to provide a weighing scalehaving a chart which can be correctly read without the use of a sightingline.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cylinder chart fora weighing scale in which the individual graduations are eliminated.

More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the description,in which reierence'is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a.preferred form of scale embodying the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. I is an end elevational view of a weighing scale embodying theinvention, certain parts being shown in section and certain parts beingbroken away.

Fig. II is a view, taken substantially from the position indicated bythe line IIII of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a fragmentary View, taken substantially on the line III--IIIof Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View, taken substantiallyon the line IV-IV of Fig. II.

Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially on the lineV-V of Fig. III.

Fig. VI is afragmentary view in elevation of portions of the chart andprice-indicia-bearing member of the weighing scale shown in Fig. I.

Figs. VII and VIII are enlarged fragmentary views of portions of themechanism shown in Fig. VI.

These specific drawings and the specific description that follows merelydisclose and illus- ,trate the invention and are not intended to imposelimitations upon the claims.

Mounted on a base III, by means of bearings H, is a main lever l2 whichpivotally carries a platter spider l3. On the upper end of the spider i3there is mounted a commodity platter i l. The commodity platter Itoverlies a main housing 15 which is mounted on the base It and enclosesthe lever l2. A check link I6 is pivotally connected between a stud l1,extending upwardly from the spider l3, and a stud l8. adjustably securedto the upper end of a bracket l9 bolted to the base 10. The check link1-6 insures the horizontal position and vertical movement of thecommodity platter l4.

A cone-pointed pivot 20, located in the nose end of the lever |2, isengaged in a stirrup 2| (Fig. II) which is connected, by means of a link22, to the power pivot of a pendulum lever 23 fulcrumed in an uprightframe member 24. The pendulum lever 23 is pivotally connected to a link25 at-- tached to the lower end of a metallic ribbon 26 which overliesand is clamped to the arcuate face of a power section 21 forming aportion of a load counterbalancing pendulum 28. The pendulum 28 issupported by two metallic ribbons 29, secured to the faces of powersectors 30, and a sector guide bracket 3| which is mounted on the baseID.

The nose end of the pendulum lever 23 is pivotally connected to thelower end of a pull rod 32 which extends upwardly through the housing l5and into the interior of a cylindrically-shaped dial housing 33 mountedatop the housing I5. A rack 34 is secured to the upper end of the pullrod 32 and is in mesh with a pinion 35 secured to one end of ahorizontal chart shaft 36 journaled in bearings and a pair of chartbrackets 31 and 38 mounted on the upper end of a vertical frame member39 and the vertical frame member 24 respectively.

Also mounted on the shaft 35 are several chart spiders 4!] (see alsoFig. III) on the peripheries of which a cylindrical chart 4| is mounted.The

chart 4| (Fig. IV) has two rows of weight indicia 42 and 43 which extendaround its periphery substantially at its center. The row of weightindicia 43 serves as the merchants weight indication and is visiblethrough a weight-viewing periscope 44 (Figs. I, II and III) located atthe top center of the cylindrical chart housing 33. The periscope 44contains a transparent mirror 45 and a screen 46 which has an aperture47 through which the weight indicia on the periphery of the chart 4| arevisible. These indicia are reflected by the mirror 45 forwardly and aremagnified by a lens 48 located on the merchants side of the periscope44,

An indicating line for the merchants weight indicia is afforded by acolored translucent sheet 49 illuminated through a slotted screen 50located behind the mirror 45, by means of light from a lamp 5| projectedthrough the colored sheet 49 by a light carrier 52 made of Lucite orsimilar material. The lamp 5| also illuminates the surface of the chart4| above which it is located. This mechanism gives a nonparallaxindication of weight to the merchant since the indicia reflected by'themirror 45 are seen in the same plane as the colored indicating linewhich is visible through the mirror 45.

The mirror 45 is mounted in a bracket 53 (see also Fig. V) which isrotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the chart 4| by means ofa knurled knob 54 located on the exterior of the periscope 44, to varythe angle of the line of vision for persons of different stature.

A customers weight indication is similarly afforded by means of somewhatsimilar equipment located in the interior of a bezel 56 (Figs. I andIII) located on the customer's side of the scale. In this case, however,a transparent mirror reflects a colored indicating line created by lightfrom a lamp 5'! carried by a hook-shaped light carrier 53 and projectedthrough a colored translucent sheet 59 onto the mirror 56. The row ofweight indicia 42 is read through the mirror 55 and magnified along withthe colored indicating line by a lens 60 mounted in the bezel 55.

On the merchants side of the scale the dial housing 33 has a flaredrectangular horizontally extending opening 6| (Fig. III), the horizontalcenter line of which is on the same plane as the axis of the chart 4|.Located just Within this opening are two horizontal cross bars 62 and 63which extend between the chart brackets 31 and 38.

A rockable scroll 64 is mounted by means of a pair of angle brackets 65(Figs. III and IV) which are pivoted on two cone-pointed screws 65extending horizontally through the end of the chart brackets 37 and 38.The scroll is rockable about an axis formed by the two screws 65. On theinterior of the scroll 64, on the inner ends of four pairs of bosses 61(Figs, II and III), there are bolted four short bars 68 into each one ofwhich there is threaded a stud 69 which serves as an axle for a roller10.

A horizontally shiftable lens frame ll extends into an opening 12through the front of the scroll 64 and is mounted for horizontalshifting by means of four rails 73 which are bolted to the lens frame Hand which slide on the rollers 13. The lens frame 1| carries four lenscells 14, each of which is shaped like a truncated four-sided pyramid,both ends of the cells being open. The outer ends of each of the lenscells 14 are approximately twice as wide and twice as high as the innerends of the lens cells and are centered therewith substantially on thesame horizontal plane as the center of the openings 6| and 12 and theaxis of the chart 4|. At the front of each of the lens cells 74 there islocated a lens 15. There are two of the lens cells 14 and lenses 15 oneach side of the center of the lens frame 1| and there are four amountareas 76 on the periphery of the chart 4| on each side of the two centerweight indicia rows 42 and 43. Each of the amount areas I6 is made up ofseveral adjacent peripheral rows of amount indicia for consecutiveprices per pound. A single cylindrical lens 1'! extends horizontallythrough all of the lens cells 14 near their innermost ends. A fingerhold18 is constructed on each end of the lens frame 7| for manually shiftingthe lens frame 1| from side to side. The scroll 64 may be rockedvertically to tilt the focal planes of the lenses l5 and T! toaccommodate persons of different height. In Fig. IV the lens frame 1| isshown in its left position and the lens 'cells 14 are over thefirst,third, fifth and seventh ones of the amounts areas 15. When the lenscell H is shifted to the right, the lens cells are in viewing relationwith the second, fourth, sixth and eighth ones of the amount areas 76.The lenses l5 and 17 are of such power that the amount areas visible ineach position appear to fill the entire Width of the openings in thelens frame.

A price-indioia-bearing member 13 is secured to the cross bar 63 andextends horizontally across behind the openings in the lens cells T4. InFig. VI it can be seen that this price-indiciabearing member 19 hasprice indicia areas corresponding to the amount areas on the peripheryof the chart 4|. For example, the first amount area and price area onthe chart 4| and member 19 on the left side of these members correspondsto prices from 5 to 12 per pound inclusive and illustrated at the rightof Fig. VI) carries price and amount indicia for prices of from 65 to$1.00 per pound. Thus the prices represented by the first, third, fifthand seventh price and amount areas cover all prices per pound from 5 to36 per pound inclusive, and the price and amount indicia in the second,fourth, sixth and eighth of such areas cover prices per pound from 37 to$1.00 inclusive.

The price-indicia-bearing member 19, in addition to carrying indiciashowing the price per pound at which the various rows of computedamounts are calculated, has horizontally extend-- ing openings 80 withtransparent colored strips 8! along the upper and lower margins of theopenings. The height of the area 8!] at each of the individual rows ofamount indicia is determined by the sum of the height of a single amountfigure on the chart in such row of indicia plus the distance on thechart in such row of amount indicia corresponding to an amount of onecent. As can be seen in Fig. VI, and in particular in Figs. VII andVIII, the amount is always shown by that one of the amount indiciavisible in the clear open center opening at in the price-indiciabearingmember It In these figures the chart 4| is shown in the position itwould assume under a load of 1% pounds. When two figures are shown inthis center opening (as is shown in Fig. VII), the correct value ismidway between the two figures so exhibited. If the two figuresexhibited in the area between the transparent colored margins of theopening 89 do not extend equidistantly into the clear center opening,the

amount is represented by that one of the two figures which extendsfurthest into the opening as, for example, the amount shown in the 41per pound pric range in Fig. VI. Fig. VIII represents the indicationshown by a price of 70 per pound for 1 pounds, which is 87 and which iscloser to 88 than to 86. If the two figures 86 and 88 extendedequidistantly into the clear center area the price would be 87 but, asshown, the price is 88. This is illustrated in the $1.00 per pound pricerange in Fig. VI where 1.24. and 1.26" are shown equidistantly extendinginto the clear center area for a correct computed amount of $1.25. Thefact that the portions of the figures which do not extend into thecenter area are visible through the colored transparent margins preventsmisreading.

The embodiment of the invention which has been disclosed may be modifiedto meet various requirements.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a computing weighing scale, in combination, a cylindrical chartresponsive to loads weighed on said scale and bearing peripheral rows ofcomputed amount indicia, and a priceindicia-bearing member associatedwith said chart, said price-indicia-bearing member extending along saidchart parallel to the axis of said chart and adjacent to such rows ofcomputed amount indicia, each price indicium being in line with that rowof amount indicia corresponding to the computed amounts of weight timesthat price corresponding to such price indicium, saidprice-indicia-bearing member having a longitudinally extendingtransparent area, with colored transparent material forming the marginsof said transparent area, the central part of said transparent areabeing distinct from said margins the width of and the central part ofsaid transparent area at each row of amount indicia being such that itspans a peripheral distance in the row of amount indicia associatedtherewith representing one cent plus the height of any numeral in suchrow of amount indicia.

2. In a computing weighing scale, in combination, a cylindrical chartresponsive to loads weighed on said scale, said chart having a pluralityof peripheral rows of computed amount indicia, each of said rowscorresponding to a selected price per pound, and a price-indiciabearingmember extending parallel to the axis of said chart, each price indiciumborne by said member corresponding to one of said rows of amountindicia, said member having a central longitudinally extendingtransparent area of varying width through which said amount indicia arevisible, the width of said area adjacent each row of amount indiciabeing such that it spans a peripheral distance in that row of amountindicia associated therewith representing to a value of one cent plusthe height of a figure in such row of indicia.

3. In a computing weighing scale, in combination, a cylinder chartresponsive to loads weighed on said scale, said chart having peripheralrows of computed amount numerals, each of said rows of numeralscomprising products of a selected price per pound and weight, and aprice-indiciabearing member extending parallel to the axis of saidchart, said member bearing a price indicium associated with each of saidrows or" numerals, said member having a longitudinally extending centerzone through which said numerals are .visible, said zone being ofvarying width, the

width of said zone adjacent each row of amount indicia being such thatit spans the peripheral distance in that row of computed amount indiciaassociated therewith corresponding to the height of one of the numeralstherein plus a peripheral space representing a minimum desirablyindicatable computed value.

4. The combination of a cylindrical weighing scale chart having aplurality of peripheral rows of computed amount indicia, each of saidrows of indicia comprising amount numerals corresponding to products ofweight and a selected price per pound and a price-indicia-bearing memberhaving a price indicium for each of said rows of computed amount indiciaand a longitudinally extending transparent section adjacent said priceindicia through which said rows of computed amount indicia are visible,the width of said transparent area adjacent each row of amount indiciabeing substantially equal to the sum of the height of an individualnumeral in that one of said rows of computed amount indicia plus thedistance in said row of computed amount indicia representing a value ofone cent.

LAWRENCE S. WILLIAMS.

